I was on the job site every day looking for product design positions. I was happy to see new positions. At the time, I sent my CV to every job offer I saw. I didn’t have any experience, but I thought “What can I lose?”, so I applied to every open product design vacancy I came across.

I sent my resume to a lot of places. Some of them didn’t reply to my emails. Some of them called me to have their first phone interview. However, it was nearly impossible for me to get a second interview. Of course, I didn’t have any experience, and many companies look for people with experience.

One time, I saw an offer that wasn’t like the others. I don’t remember what was written there, but I remember it was different. It looked a bit weird to me but I sent my CV anyway (remember, my philosophy was, what can I lose by sending my CV?).

I was surprised when this company called me, and I was very happy. The person on the other side asked me questions and I answered. After 5 minutes he told me he wanted to have a second interview with me. I was totally surprised, but his next point was the moment I understood everything. He told me that the company was in the porn business. Though I was interested in starting work as a product designer, I explained to him that I am not interested in the position.

There are some industries that for me there is no question, they are out of scope for me, and I prefer not to work in them.

The thought of spending my time working in an industry that I feel does not add much value to the world at all does not appeal to me.

The question “what will be my next work” should concern every designer. The answer to this question may be different for individuals at different stages of their careers, but we should ask it regardless.

In this article, I will be discussing topics that, in my opinion, we must address when we are searching for a new product design or ux design position. The article is aimed at designers who have experience in the product design field for more than a year. However, I think it can also be valuable for people with no experience.

First lest start with some open questions:

Why do you want to stay in your current job?

You may ask yourself the question is why do I need to leave my job? but I see it in reverse because if we stay in a company we actually need to prove it to ourselves. Maybe you feel challenged in your position, maybe you love the industry you work in, maybe at this point in time you prefer to be in your comfort zone, maybe you have a high salary and you need money or maybe you see yourself promoted there in the future.

Considering the points you see that make it unwise for you to remain at your current job, you might ask yourself:

What are your goals for your next role?

If you answer this question before you begin your search, you will be able to focus your search. Writing down your career goals, like becoming a product design manager or studying a new field, helps you stay motivated and focused. I will try to help you with this article, but I believe we should first ask ourselves this question because no one knows us as we do.

What company culture do you prefer?

A company’s culture is defined as the set of shared values, norms, and beliefs that characterize the organization. Company culture refers to both the organizational culture and the collective personality of its employees.

The culture of one company may differ from another depending on how it was established and who works there. The work environment in a start-up may be innovative with long hours, whereas a traditional corporation might have strict rules about dress regulations and working hours.

Do I want to work on a startup? enterprise? Small company? Big company?

When you work in a startup, you may need to take care of graphic design issues for the marketing side in addition to your core product design responsibilities. If you work in a big enterprise, you can get tasks and dig deeper than you ever thought possible. If you enjoy doing more things than just product design, you might consider working on a startup instead of a big enterprise (and vice versa).

International company? Local company?

You can work for a local company in your native language with a culture you are familiar with. Alternatively, you can work for a multinational company with a variety of cultures in an English-speaking environment.

Would you prefer to work in an environment where people take ownership?

People who prefer to work in this type of environment believe that they will be able to push themselves beyond their normal limits and make a greater impact as a result. If you are this type of person, I believe that you will find this point important to you. You should be able to find places that will suit this style because taking ownership is one of the most important values for many companies.

Work-life balance is important to you?

This question is very individual and will differ from person to person and will depend on the person’s situation. For example, people with family may consider a work-life balance culture more important, while young people may not consider it quite as important.

Which industries do you want to work in? What industries do you want to stay away from?

Would you like to work in a particular industry? something you have passion for, Perhaps the music industry, the real estate industry, or the finance industry? By combining your passion for working as a product designer with another thing that you are passionate about, you will gain high satisfaction. On the other hand, there may be an industry you consider outside of your job search. When I talk to people (not just ux designers) about this topic, I often find that there are some industries that people do not want to enter.

Outdated on-site work model or advanced models like a hybrid or full remote?

There are many styles to choose from. Our jobs can be traditional on-site or we can move to companies that have more advanced models of hybrid or full remote work. I believe that these parameters are as significant as our salary today.

Career path

A career path is a series of steps a person takes to reach their career goals. There is a set of skills and attributes that are required for each step of the process in order to be successful. Eventually, we will acquire more skills, so the next step may be to challenge ourselves more.

Do you prefer to design for mobile, tablet, or desktop?

It is quite different to work on a mobile app than a desktop app, as mobile apps have unique types of interactions and are often focused on B2C products, while desktop apps tend to have different types of interactions and are often focused on B2B products. If you have a platform you are more passionate about, this question can help you to focus your search efforts.

What is your salary range?

You should ask yourself this question before you begin searching for a job. If it is difficult to evaluate your salary range, take a look at the salary surveys that are published on a regular basis. This will give you the opportunity to understand the market and help you understand the salary range for your expertise level. You can view an example written by Peter Javorkai here.

Are you considering product management as a possible future career?

The product manager and the product designer have very similar responsibilities. However, the designer is more concerned with the user experience, while the PM is more concerned with the business aspects.

It is also an opportunity you can take advantage of for yourself, to work as a PM. In that case, you may want to work as a product designer in a product company and then move from there to a PM position.

For more information on the difference between the two, you may wish to take a look at an article I wrote about the collaboration between both.

Do you want to work as a design manager in the future?

As a general rule, there are two ways to advance in the career field of product design. You can progress as a senior designer and gain more experience in its field so that you can become a master at it. The second one (and perhaps the most famous) is to become a manager. Although both are acceptable, if you plan to work as a manager you will need to consider what future opportunities are available in different companies. In many cases, you will have to work for a large or medium company where you will be able to become a manager. Alternatively, you could join a startup as a first product designer. If the startup grows, you could build a design team and manage them.

Do you seek a junior, mid-level, or senior position? Maybe the product design manager?

Know your level of expertise. If you work in a small business as a designer or manager it is very different from what this role might be in a large one. At a small company, you may be considered a senior product designer. However, when you move to a larger company, you may be considered a mid-level or even a junior product designer. The design part will be your responsibility in small companies, but in large companies, you will need a higher set of skills, like high presentation skills or better self-management skills, so be aware of this difference.

Do you have a desire to conduct UX research, manage design systems, or facilitate design thinking workshops?

You can move on to roles that are related to product design, but they are not the core function of a product designer. You don’t have to travel far if you have experience as a product designer to work as a user experience researcher, user experience writer, design system designer, design OPS, or even facilitate design thinking workshops. As the new roles start to be more common you don’t need to be afraid to enter new fields in case you feel you like it. Imagine all the virtual reality designers (VR, XR, AR, etc.) who are becoming more common today, and you will find a plethora of new career opportunities.

Are you interested in marketing or graphic design?

It is true that product design and marketing design or graphic design are different roles; however, they share some aspects, like the aesthetic part of their work or how their designers communicate with users. There are times when designers want to focus more on marketing work that emphasizes communication, visual design, and brand identity rather than building logic for the application.

B2B vs B2C products

Some designers prefer to design on B2B products, while others prefer to work on B2C products. On B2C products, you can design to a large number of users, whereas, on B2B products, you can find some products for specific expertise, so you will have to study the domain and develop the expertise in order to design those products. Another difference is that B2C products can have a richer graphic design inside (for example, more illustrations), whereas B2B products tend to be direct to the point with less “cream.”

Market yourself

When we are looking for a job, we have to market ourselves because this is the only way employers will find us. We need to do our best and make sure we’re using social media, websites, and other platforms to get noticed. So many people out there looking for jobs, so it’s key to stand out.

Where are you searching for a job?

For the easiest job search, you should open Linkedin and read job offers, but you may also ask for help from your college. Maybe someone knows about a position that is available. Additionally, you can send an email to companies to ask for a job. To save time, one simple technique is to take advantage of the job alert feature that is available on many platforms.

Do you need help writing your CV?

People may find it easy to write a CV, however, some have difficulty when they need to do so. Remember that the option to have a professional write your curriculum vitae is also available if you do not feel comfortable writing one.

What do you show in your portfolio?

Yes, you may create one portfolio to send to many employers, however, there is a second option, which is to create a portfolio that corresponds with the specific job. As an example, if you have experience with both b2b products and b2c products and are ok to work on any of them, you can compile one portfolio demonstrating your ability to work on b2b products and one that represents your ability to work on b2c products and send them to the companies you wish to work with. If the company develops b2b products, you should send a portfolio that indicates your expertise in b2b. If the company develops b2c products, you can send a portfolio that shows your capabilities regarding b2c products.

Who will help you to practice interview questions?

If you’re feeling nervous about the interview, you could practice with an expert. Another idea is to find a product or ux designer who has already accomplished what you are trying to accomplish or to contact your friends for feedback. Another option is to practice in front of a camera interview questions and record your performance and watch it back. I believe practicing can boost your confidence and improve your chances of succeeding in the interview.

What platform will you use to build your portfolio?

Designers sometimes struggle with this question a lot, they start building on one platform and then switch to another, which wastes a lot of time. It might be wise to do some research about the different platforms before you start to build your portfolio so you can understand better what suits your needs. The most important thing is to pick the platform that best suits your needs, whether it is WordPress, Wix, editor X, Webflow, or UXfolio.